


Nightmares and Daydreams

by Cambetaut



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-Battle of Five Armies, Slow Burn, Smut, Thorin's POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-04-30 20:34:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5178677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cambetaut/pseuds/Cambetaut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo is constantly on Thorin's mind, sometimes in a less than appropriate manner. When Bilbo has a nightmare and comes running to Thorin in tears it's like a dream come true for the king.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Night

**Author's Note:**

> I have yet to go back and edit the entire work, but I promise I'll get there eventually. 
> 
> If you want, come find me on tumblr (same url)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut ahead

My eyes flew open once more, there was no way I would be getting any sleep that night. No matter how I tossed and turned I could not get comfortable, and I couldn't keep the hobbit from my mind. He swam into view as soon as I closed my eyes, taunting me, tempting me; driving me insane; I couldn't remember the last time he wasn't a permanent fixture in my thoughts. Sometimes I thought of his body, his eyes, his hair, his smile, his _arse_. Other times it was the sound of him, his laugh, his voice in all its varied forms of annoyance and pleasure, and every so often how I imagined he would sound in the throes of ecstasy. Sometimes it was his smell, that beautiful earthy aroma, and I could never help wondering how he would smell all sweaty and musky after sex. 

I pushed the covers from my body and paused at the edge of the bed, rubbing a hand over my face. I let myself imagine for a moment how it would feel to have his fingers run through my hair, removing the tangles and pulling lightly. I groaned at the thought of it and pushed the image from my mind, rising from my bed and walking over to my desk, where I lit a candle to illuminate the dark room. I absentmindedly considered donning some clothes, but I was sweaty, and it felt so good to have the air touch my bare skin, although it felt slightly funny to sit on the desk chair without anything covering my jambags; it wasn't often that I sat anywhere without pants on. 

I pulled a document towards me, trying to distract myself with matters concerning Erebor and the underway reconstruction, but my eyes merely skimmed over the words, I wasn't absorbing any of the information, and my mind began to wander once more. I imagined what it would be like to have him pull me from the dull paperwork and to our bed, whispering naughty secrets in my ear while his small hands wandered my body.

I shook my head, trying to clear it of my wayward thoughts. It was bad enough how much I was distracted in his presence, but my mind had no reason to wander so much when he wasn't even near me. I tried to bury my nose in the paperwork and actually take in the information, but he pushed the words from my mind, and this time I imagined sitting on my throne, the crown upon my head. He walked towards me, covered in gleaming treasure, my bead in his hair, a clasp on one pointed ear, many rings on his small fingers; he was truly beautiful. The hobbit didn't stop to bow as he drew nearer, instead climbing right into my lap, his lithe fingers curling in my hair, his nose nuzzling against my neck. Others came before us, addressing me but always casting their eyes upon my halfling in admiration, but he only had eyes for me, and I knew he was mine. 

I shook my head once more; this was getting out of hand. My dick was hard and pulsing with want for my friend. I knew he didn't think of me in such a manner; he had refused my advances many a time, until I finally realized he only wished to be friends. I pushed the hurt from my heart and turned to my paperwork, ignoring the need pulsing between my legs. I would not give in to my base urges, I couldn't, it would be a betrayal of our friendship. 

I focused on the trade agreement in front of me, getting through that particular paper along with two others before another image plagued my mind. He was laying naked on the treasure hoard, ready for me to take him. Gems and gold littered his hair, the reflection of the treasure turning his curls into a golden color all their own. He was begging, pleading for me to be inside him. His cock was engorged and nearly purple, and he reached his own hand down to his arse and began slowly fingering his puckered hole, his mouth falling open in pleasure. 

No. I needed to stop this, I couldn't think of my friend in such a light, no matter how much I desired him; it just wasn't right.

I looked down at my lap, my dick was straining towards me, as if begging for release. I really shouldn't, I knew I shouldn't, but it had been so long since I had received any pleasure, and no one would know that I had taken such a liberty; it was the middle of the night. I reached my hand down, wrapping it around my length and beginning to stroke, letting my mind wander to another fantasy. He was sitting on the throne this time, wearing nothing but golden trinkets, his legs spread wide and waiting. I approached him, touching kisses to his soft skin as I breached his slicked hole. 

I moaned out loud, stroking myself vigorously at the image in my mind. 

He began squirming beneath me in pleasure as I pounded into him ruthlessly, sucking marks along his neck and on his chest. The most pleasurable noises began escaping his mouth; so beautiful and erotic I could have wept. 

I stroked myself faster, nearing my completion quickly at the thoughts I was harboring. 

In my mind the halfling began screaming my name in pleasure, his eyes rolling back into his head as he gripped the throne for support. 

I couldn't last a moment longer and I came hard on my hand, disappointed that it wasn't deep within him as I had imagined. As I came down off the bliss of my orgasm I looked around me, and finally down at my hand, disgusted with myself. What kind of king was I? 

I slowly stood, making my way over to the water closet and washing myself off. I thoroughly scrubbed my hand, ensuring there were no traces of the sticky substance left on me. When I was back in the bedroom I put on light trousers this time so I could find no further distractions. Hopefully after indulging in my fantasies I would be able to keep him off my mind long enough to actually get through the stack of papers awaiting my attention. 

I began diligently working through the many documents, happy that I could finally concentrate. I was almost finished with the most urgent papers when a light knock sounded at my door, and I stood, irritated. I strode across the room and opened the door, ready to berate whoever had the gall to interrupt me, but the words died on my lips when I saw the halfling. I silently sent my thanks to Mahal that Bilbo had not come to my room earlier. 

"Bilbo? What are you doing up so late?" My voice held a wealth of concern. 

"I... Couldn't sleep. I saw the light from your room and I just thought maybe you would like some company?" His eyes looked red and puffy, and he seemed desperate for companionship. He was wearing only a light undershirt and trousers, his hair all mussed as if he had just woken. 

"Of course, come in," I stood back from the door and held it wide for him, shutting it securely when he had entered. He stood awkwardly in the center of the room, looking around at the furniture before his gaze rested on me, and he diverted it right away. 

"Would you like to sit?" I gestured towards the bed, and he nodded, sniffling slightly before making his way across the room. 

I would have offered him a chair, but there was only the one, so I decided it would be better if we would both sit on the bed. He looked up at me as I sat beside him. It looked as if he had been crying, and quite heartily. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around my halfling and comfort him, but that would be pushing the boundaries of our friendship. If he began to cry again though, it was unlikely I would be able to restrain myself from the action. 

"Thorin I..." He began, before stopping and wiping a sleeve under his nose. He seemed to reconsider his words and sat silently beside me instead, looking down at his hands. 

"What is it?" I made my tone as gentle as possible, and his beautiful hazel eyes looked up into mine. 

"I... I had a nightmare, and I just... I needed someone to talk to and..." He stopped to sniffle again before continuing. "I dreamt you were dead... That you died on Ravenhill... And it was so awful... You were so lifeless..." By the end his words had morphed into sobs, and I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close to me. 

"I'm fine Bilbo, I'm here, there's no need to cry, my hobbit," I whispered to him, trying to comfort him. 

I found it endearing that he would get so upset over my death. I relished the feeling of him in my arms, happy to hold him while he cried, although I wished his sorrow was not the reason for such contact between us. His tears were soaking my chest, but I didn't mind; he was safe in my arms, and that was all that mattered. I couldn't help the kiss I pressed into his hair, but he seemed too caught up in his tears to notice. His small hands were gripping at my bare chest, as if he was trying to find a hold on me, and eventually he tangled his fingers in my hair and continued on with his crying, mumbling nonsense into our embrace that I couldn't make sense of. I kept trying to comfort him with soothing words, but they didn't seem to be helping. I ran a hand over his back, trying to reassure him that everything was alright. 

Slowly the sobs wracking his fragile body slowed, but he stayed in my arms, seemingly content to finger my hair and keep his face against my chest. Bilbo took a few deep breaths before pulling away, and I missed his warmth immediately. He looked up at me, his face slick with tears. I raised my hands to his cheeks, wiping away the wetness and smiling gently at him.

"I'm sorry..." He looked to the floor as he spoke. 

"There's nothing to be sorry about. If I had a nightmare of you dying I would come to your chambers crying as well," I tried to jest, but he still seemed too upset to laugh. 

"I'm sure you were finishing some important kingly things that had kept you up, I shouldn't have disturbed you." 

"Bilbo, you can disturb me whenever you like, your company is always welcome," He finally smiled at me, but his eyes still held sadness. 

"Do you... Never mind," the hobbit looked back to the ground. 

"What is it?" 

"Do you mind if I stay here with you?" My heart fluttered in my chest, but I knew without his nightmare the scenario at hand would never have occurred. 

"Of course I don't mind. If you would like to sleep you may, I only have a few papers left to look over," I smiled at him, overwhelmed at the thought of him in my bed. 

"I... Thank you." 

I stood from the bed, going once more to my desk. I looked over my shoulder to find him snuggling under the covers and nuzzling into my pillows. I resisted the urge to join him right away, instead focusing on the paperwork once again. I had to push him from my mind many a time, and I had only gotten through one of the documents before I relented and blew out the candle. 

I climbed into the bed beside him, my heart thrumming eagerly in my chest. I had only to reach out and he would be there, for _real_ , in my bed. I couldn't help the smile that seemed plastered on my face, and I let myself imagine that he was my consort, here because the bed was his as well, because he had married me. I sighed before shifting to get more comfortable and drifting off to sleep, pleasant thoughts of Bilbo on my mind.


	2. The Morning After

I hugged the hobbit tighter, not wanting to let go of my dream. He felt so real this time; it was almost as if I could feel his weight on my chest. I rubbed a hand over his back, feeling the heat of his skin through a shirt. This couldn't be a dream, it felt too real. 

I opened my eyes, wishing with all my being that my mind wasn't just playing another cruel trick on me, and for the first time it wasn't; he was really there, in my bed as well as my arms. I was laying on my back and he was settled on top of me, his head tucked under my chin. My arms were wrapped tightly around him, holding his small body close, while one of his hands lay over my heart, and I couldn't help but think how ironic it was, because my heart beat only for him. 

I could have whooped with joy, but I held myself from the action. I then remembered why he was here; it was not because he loved me or wished to be mine, it was because he had a nightmare. He was simply scared of sleeping alone, it wasn't as if he desired me like I desired him. We were still merely friends, we would only ever be _friends_. 

My heart sank at my thoughts, but I still had this moment to hold him close; I could still pretend he was mine while his eyes were closed. I smiled to myself, content to feel him against me. It was like the best of dreams, but I knew that it was only that; a dream, and soon it would fade and I would be left with the cold harshness of reality.

Reality and a boner. While I could pass it off as the normal morning reaction it was I doubted I could make it go away while he was in my presence. He would see my reaction to him and that would be the end of our friendship, he would go back to his cozy little hobbit hole and my heart would go with him. I tried to turn my thoughts to the most vile things I had seen in all my long years, but he kept pushing them away, replacing them with images of him in very compromising positions. I could have laughed at myself; only I would think of him in such a manner while he was sleeping with me. It was no use, my dick knew he was there, and there was no way it would give up its pursuit of the tight warmth he could provide. 

He began to stir in my arms, and my dirty thoughts were thrust aside by his movements. I looked at him as best I could in our current position, but I couldn't tell if he had opened his eyes yet or not. The answer to my unasked question was given when he raised his head and looked at me, and the breath was stolen from my lungs at the magnificent sight. His hair was all rumpled, out of place and wild, as if we had just finished making love. His normally alert eyes were heavy lidded, and he seemed to be trying to piece together the situation and greatly failing. A trail of drool was dribbling down his chin, and I was tempted to wipe it away for him. He was so beautiful, and I couldn't even tell him so. He absentmindedly wiped away his spit and seemed to simultaneously realize he was laying on top of me. He scrambled off me and sat up in the bed, reminding me of a frightened rabbit. I followed suit, albeit a bit more elegantly, watching him studiously. 

"Did you sleep well, Bilbo?" He seemed to startle at my voice, as if he wasn't sure whether he was dreaming or not. 

"I... Yes. Why am I in your bed?" I could have laughed at him, it was painfully obvious he wasn't a morning person. 

"Do you not remember coming here last night after your nightmare?" Realization dawned on his face and he blushed a beautiful shade of pink. 

"Sorry about that..." He looked away from me, a hand combing through his hair. 

"There's nothing to be sorry about, if you ever find yourself in such a predicament again you are more than welcome to come sleep in my bed, you need not ask." I smiled at him, hoping he would take up my offer sooner rather than later. 

"Thank you, again." 

"Anytime," I looked him over one last time before rising from the bed and going to dress. I tried my best to hide my boner from him, and in the end I believe he didn't notice, or had the decency not to point it out. I grabbed my attire for the day and retreated to the bathroom to dress in private, although I was tempted to just dress in front of him. 

When I entered my bedroom again he was curiously looking around, as if the very walls were something to behold. I hoped he was genuinely intrigued by the carvings on the wall and wasn't avoiding looking at me because he felt extremely awkward and out of place. 

"Would you care to have breakfast with me?" 

"That would be nice," Bilbo looked at me, offering a smile, and it was a sight to see him sitting in my bed and happy. 

I poked my head outside the door and ordered a guard to have breakfast for two brought to my chambers along with an extra chair. When I closed the door and turned back to the room, I focused on clearing everything from the desk so we could both sit there to eat. I considered ordering a table with its own chairs for such occasions in the future, as there was more than enough space to fit one in the room, but I would do that later on. Maybe I'd even get the hobbit's help to pick one out. 

I shook my head, I was letting my hopes get too high, it was unlikely I would ever encounter this situation again. This was realistically the first and last time he would sleep in my bed, and it would do no good to plan for such a thing to occur again. Although, there was a good chance I would order the table anyway, just incase. 

Satisfied with the state of the desk I went to sit on the edge of my bed, trying not make it painfully obvious that I was intently watching him. My curiosity kept trying to get the better of me, and my eyes tended to venture towards his lap, trying to see if he was erect, but the blankets were bunched over his crotch, and there was no subtle way to know for sure the state of his cock. I considered trying to nonchalantly shift the blankets so I could be offered a better view, but that would surely seem suspicious. In truth it was shameful of me to be thinking of his privates while he was right next to me, but the urge to know was almost eating away at me until he spoke, drawing me from my devious thoughts. 

"This room is smaller than I expected." 

"Oh? You expected something grander?" I had almost forgotten this was the first time he had come into my chambers. 

"Well I at least thought the King would have a bigger room, mine's about the same size," he was chuckling at me now.

A knock at the door stopped our chatter, and I bid the person to enter. Four servants rushed in, one with a chair and three with food. I was pleased they had been so quick to serve us, I had thought it would have taken them longer. It would probably be a while yet until I got used to living in luxury again, especially after so many years faced of struggling to survive. 

When the servants bowed and left I turned to look at Bilbo, who was blushing once again. "What is the matter?" I almost couldn't stop myself from laughing at his actions. 

"They just saw me here. In your bed. Im sure they think-" 

I cut him off, "What does it matter what they think? They are only servants, Bilbo. They get so bored sometimes that they gossip about each other," I smiled at him, hoping to reassure him. It was obvious that he thought the idea of bedding me was preposterous, or he wouldn't have cared if others talked. 

"How about we have breakfast, hmm?" His stomach grumbled in reply and I laughed at him this time. 

We both stood from the bed, selected a chair, and dug in. There was little conversation, but it was a pleasurable silence. I tried not to make it seem as if I was staring at Bilbo while he was eating, but the look of joy on his face at every bite was too pleasurable to miss out on. Sometimes I forgot how much hobbits enjoyed their food, but it was easily remembered while watching my hobbit eat. After our long journey and never having enough to fill his belly he was finally fattening up again, and I loved the way he looked happy and healthy. I silently vowed to make sure he would never want for anything again. 

It almost seemed as if this was a normal occurrence, as if we did this every morning together, and I wished that we did. If I had less duties to attend to I would spend my every moment trying to win his heart, but some days it seemed as if there were never enough hours to complete my tasks. I almost wished to pass the burden of the crown onto someone else, but I had worked my entire life to be king, and it would not be something easily given up, although I would have thrust it aside without second thought if it meant having the hobbit for my own. My heart seemed such a funny thing in that moment, to care for nothing but power and wealth for most of my life but be willing to give it all up for such a simple creature. 

When I tore my gaze from an odd piece of fruit I had been pensively staring at, the hazel eyes of the halfling were upon me, and some emotion seemed to be clouding his gaze. I cocked my head to the side slightly and stared into his eyes, trying to dig into the depths of his soul to find if he could ever love me as I loved him, but the answer was guarded from me, and even the mightiest pick in my arsenal couldn't break through the massive stones blocking my path. 

"Are you full, Master Hobbit?" I couldn't stand any more of the silence. 

"What? Yes... Right, yes." 

I sighed, dreading having to leave him, but my work was never done, and I knew the spell of the morning had to be broken eventually. "I must be off, Bilbo. There are many things that require my attention. Perhaps I will see you later?" I hoped I didn't sound too desperate. 

He only nodded at me, and I turned to leave. Halfway across the room I almost decided to shirk my duties for the day, but I couldn't possibly. Bilbo probably had much to attend to in the library anyway, and we were only friends, it would be weird for me to follow him around like a puppy, and disrespectful to demand his company for a day. As the door clicked shut behind me I absently hoped to find him waiting for me when I entered again at the end of the day, but it was a foolish hope and I knew it. 

I smiled to myself as I strode through the halls, remembering the feeling of his warm skin against mine, and I knew the rest of the day I would imagine his touch, it would be a welcome distraction from the numerous meetings ahead of me.

\--------

Every task seemed to lag on, and constantly I was distracted by thoughts of the hobbit, many of them dirty in nature. Balin seemed to notice my distractedness and commented on it more than once, but I could never divulge such thoughts, to him especially. By the end of the day I wanted nothing more than to curl into my bed with the hobbit snuggled in beside me, but that was letting my hopes run a bit too wild. I knew he would not come to my room again tonight. 

When I pushed open the door to my chambers I was greeted with the sight of the new table I had ordered, it was a perfect place to sit with my hobbit, should he ever come in my room again. I briefly considered sending for him, but it would be like treating him no better than a servant. 

I stripped my formal wear and plopped onto my bed, sighing in relief as the soft surface hit my skin. Hopefully I could find sleep easily, but I had many doubts that I would. I crawled under the bedsheets and looked up at the ceiling, wondering what the hobbit was doing. Considering the hour he was probably already sleeping, and some cruel part of me hoped he had another nightmare, if only it meant he would come to my bed once more. 

I entertained the thought of him sneaking into my quarters in the middle of the night and slipping unnoticed into my bed. It would make for a most pleasant surprise in the morning, even if I couldn't smother him with all the kisses I wished to give. 

There was nothing I wanted more than to give him my love, to show him the tenderness of my affections, but every day I was denied, the lust for him grew stronger, until my every moment was spent wishing to claim him; to bury myself to the hilt in his tight little hole and fuck him senseless. 

I imagined him waiting for me at the end of the day, laying across my bed naked, motioning for me to come to him. The eager look that would be on his face, as he made quick work of my clothes in his race to reach what lay underneath. 

I shook my head, here had to be some way to keep these fantasies in check. Something, anything, to keep him from my mind. Maybe if I took a lover? But that could never really work, in the end I would only find disappointment in the fact that it would never be my cute little hobbit. 

I groaned to myself. This was the most excruciating agony, but in the same instance I loved it. It physically hurt to crave something that was always just beyond my reach, but I wouldn't give up my love for him for any amount of gold or jewels, he would always be more important. I needed him in my life, or it would be nothing more than a hollow existence. 

The more I thought about it a fear crept into my heart, and the thought of him leaving was so great it took my breath. What could I possibly do if he were to go back to his home? I would die from heartbreak, and he would never know that he took my heart back to the Shire with him. I only needed to find a way to keep him here, simple as that. Except it didn't seem very simple at all. I tried to push the fears to the back of my mind, I needed to sleep. I would think of a solution on the morrow; there had to be something I could come up with. 

I fell into an uneasy sleep filled with images of the hobbit departing from Erebor, never to return, and it felt as if a knife were twisting deep within my heart. 


	3. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin's just cute, that's the only summary there is for this, lol.

The next two nights were spent sleeplessly pondering anything and everything that could keep my hobbit from leaving, and I was driving myself mad trying to come up with anything that would work. 

I looked back down at the paper in front of me, which was covered in hastily scribbled thoughts, many of which I only ended up crossing out. Maybe I needed to find a different approach; as many of my ideas so far had concerned some form of locking Bilbo away or making it impossible for anyone to leave the mountain, and I knew they weren't practical. 

I rubbed a hand over my face and through my hair, letting an exasperated sigh escape my lips as I leaned back in the chair. I needed to take a walk, maybe I could find some inspiration somewhere else in the kingdom. I stood from the desk and headed straight for the door, not bothering to put on a shirt, I just needed to get out of my room. 

I absentmindedly walked through the mountain, not paying much attention to where I was going. When I was younger, walking the halls had always helped me. My feet always seemed to know where I needed to go, and I found myself headed towards the battlements that night. The air was crisp and cool against my skin when I opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony. It was one of the very few places that led outside, and it seemed the fresh air was exactly what I needed. I took deep gulps of the fresh air and let my head fall back so I could see the stars shimmering brightly in the sky. It was still a little weird to be in a mountain after the years on the road, and some nights I found myself wishing I was sleeping in the open again, because they were somewhat of a comfort to me. 

I let out a sigh and looked down at the valley below. It was still rather barren from when the dragon had fled the mountain, but slowly the grass would return and great scorch marks wouldn't mar the landscape. Even in the moonlight it was easy see the patches of flowers that were already growing back on the mountain. I remembered my grandmother taking me out some evening to show me when I was very young, pointing out that they were always her favorite, but she could never get them to grow properly in her greenhouse. 

I paused for a moment, and an idea sprang to mind. I nearly raced back through the doors and along the walkways in my haste to reach the highest part of the mountain. I didn't know why I hadn't thought of it before, because really it was the perfect idea. 

It didn't take me long to reach it, and I knew the shortest route by heart. After she had died I spent many days in the greenhouse alone, and it became my sanctuary, as it was abandoned. I hesitated before the door, not sure if I could handle the memories, but it would be good to hold her journals and feel her old gardening gloves, even if they were nothing more than shreds of cloth. This part of the mountain was much too small for the dragon to have touched, and I was especially grateful for that. I hadn't thought much of her or her greenhouse since the exile, as I had to focus more on surviving and less on fond memories, but I was thankful those flowers had reminded me now after so many years. 

The door creaked open, and it was just bright enough to see. It was like a step back in time, with just a little more dust. Everything was just as she had left it, with maybe a few scattered pots I had broken in anger or grief after her passing. It would be good to see the room alive again, and even better that it would be Bilbo who would put the room to use. I walked in further and trailed my hand along the familiar desk right beside the door. Her journals were still there, and thankfully intact. 

I picked one up and held it to my chest, closing my eyes and taking in a deep breath. I could just picture it now, myself as a child excitedly bursting through the door to see her smiling up at me from a particular area she was working at. Her smile was always so bright and beautiful, and she was almost always covered in dirt, whether it was on her clothes or somehow in her striking white hair, sometimes even accompanied by a leaf or two. She always offered me fresh fruit or vegetables and told me how frustrated she was that she still couldn't get her favorite flowers to grow in the environment, and I would always listen intently, holding on to every word, even the ones that didn't make sense. Visiting her was always the best part of my day, and some part of me had been a little lost when she went where I could not follow, and at the time it had been a little hard to understand what that really meant. 

\----

I stayed there for maybe and hour more, remembering many memories, before I turned to leave, shutting the door behind me. I had all five of her journals in my arms, and contemplated dropping them off at the library right away or making sure Ori got them directly from me so nothing would happen to them. The information I knew she had in each about different techniques she had picked up would be of much help to Bilbo, because I knew it was very different to grow things here than it was back in his Shire. 

I walked past his door on the way to my chambers, as I had decided it would be better to keep the books safe with me, and stopped for a moment, wondering if I should tell him now. I was nearly bursting with excitement, but it would be better to have Balin ensure the greenhouse was useable before I told the halfling, so I kept walking, even though I wanted nothing more than to climb into his bed with him. 

The closer I got to my quarters the more I hoped he was waiting there for me, but when I opened the door the room was empty. Really I shouldn't have expected otherwise, but the night had made me hopeful.


	4. In The Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You should enjoy this, I think it's pretty funny, and cute.

Balin had given me a knowing look when I gave him the orders concerning the greenhouse, but he went about it right away, as I had asked him to get it usable as quickly as possible. The next person I had made of point of visiting was Ori, who was given very specific instructions involving my grandmother's journals, and he set to work right away as well. 

The rest of the day was spent going over piles of paperwork, but I couldn't help wondering what Bilbo's reaction would be. I offhandedly considered showing him the greenhouse and proposing, but that might be just a bit too forward, and I knew he didn't think of me in that way. Instead I let myself imagine taking him on every surface of the room, pushing him down into the dirt he so loved and fucking him senseless. 

Despite my resolve to get through the seemingly endless paperwork, after thinking of pounding into my beautiful hobbit I couldn't find it in myself to concentrate; he kept filling my mind with the most delicious scenarios. Just as the sun was beginning to set I abandoned the paperwork and instead opted for another walk, which took me to the balcony once more. When I opened the doors air flew in to greet me, just strong enough to make my hair billow behind me. It would be so nice to have more places like this in the mountain, or even real windows, but they only served to create weak points in Erebor's defenses, which I would rather avoid. 

The sun cast the sky in brilliant shades of orange and red as it slowly inched further down the horizon, until the last colors bled from the sky and left the world dark, and slowly the stars appeared to dot it with color. I stayed there for an unknown amount of time, content to just watch the sky and wish upon the stars. I would give anything, absolutely anything, to truly have Bilbo as mine, and it became disheartening at times when I remembered how he had turned me down before, and how I knew he would turn me down again, but I had to try, because I really did love him. 

The walk back to my chambers was slow and thoughtful, and when I finally arrived at the familiar door it was a welcoming sight. I quickly stripped out of my clothes, blew out the candles, and crawled under the covers of the bed, sighing contentedly into the mattress. Sleep would have been welcome, but it was evading me. My brain was buzzing with excitement to see how the greenhouse would turn out, as well as naughty thoughts of Bilbo. 

I imagined him sneaking into my room in the middle of the night to come straddle me, his body bare of any clothes, and begging me to take him. 

I thrust my hips into the air just thinking of his tight warmth encasing my hard cock. It was awful of me, really, to think of him like this, but when I wasn't distracted by kingly duties or worrying about our future I couldn't help it. 

I let another fantasy creep into my head, it was in the main counsel chamber during a very important meeting. Bilbo was hiding under the table, and while the men were droning on about political matters he began to tease me, first lightly with his hands, and then with his mouth, slowly building the pleasure until I came undone right in front of the other men. 

I should have been ashamed of myself, but each new one spurned me on, until I was so hard it nearly hurt. I couldn't take another moment without blessed friction, and I quickly shed my remaining clothes and let my hand wrap around my member, slowly stroking up and down its length. 

This time I imagined he was my consort, and he was trailing kisses along my neck in an effort to wake me. Early morning light was filtering into the room, making his curls a messy golden halo about his head. He was asking me to make love to him, his eyes blazing with passion and lust. I pushed him into his back so he was spread out below me, his face flushed with desire as he begged for me to fill him, but I only slid one finger in, gently fucking him with it as he writhed beneath me with undisguised want. His hands fisted in my hair, pulling at the dark locks in an attempt to make me give him more. Slowly I added another, stretching his tight hole languidly. He tried to thrust back against my fingers, but I held him still, taking my time with giving him pleasure. 

My hand picked up the pace on my dick, my wanton moans filling the room. 

I finally filled him with my manhood, after he was nearly sobbing for me to be in him. I pumped slowly in and out, relishing in the feel of him and the look of pure ecstasy on his beautiful face before I began ramming into him harder and faster, driving both of us towards our orgasms. He was loudly moaning and crying out my name in the throes of passion. I was pushing us ever higher, closer and closer to the edge...

"Thorin?" I froze, my heart beating so fast in my chest I thought it might actually burst through my ribcage. 

"Bilbo?" I hoped I had only imagined him calling my name. 

"I... Are you alright? I heard noises and I wasn't sure..."

"I was just, uh, dreaming." I pushed myself up onto my elbows to try to locate him, but it was too dark to see anything, thank Mahal. 

"Oh... Would you mind if I... You said before if I ever had another nightmare I could..." He was sniffling, and it was much easier to hear now how his voice sounded a little raw. 

"Of course I don't mind, come here," I sat up further, bunching the sheets at my crotch to try to hide my throbbing erection. I was so thankful that there was no light to alert him of what I had been doing, but he would shortly be crawling into the bed with me, and I was completely naked and very hard. 

Before I could make a move to collect my pants from the floor he had crawled onto the other side of the bed and was now on my lap, straddling me. His arms wrapped around my neck and he buried his face there as well, sobbing slightly into my skin. I panicked for a moment, not sure what to do, and wondering if he could feel my hardness, but if he did it wasn't evident. 

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him as close as I dared. As difficult as it was with him sitting on me, I eventually calmed down enough for my erection to deflate, and by that time his breathing had returned to normal. 

"Is it all better now?" My voice was soft and soothing, whispered into a pointed ear. 

He nodded against me, and I couldn't help but smile to myself. He reminded me of a child like this, though I knew all too well he was anything but. I rubbed a hand along his back, inhaling against his curls. 

"Come on, Bilbo, let's get some sleep." 

The halfling shifted off my lap and settled himself under the covers, and I followed suit, deciding to worry about my pants issue in the morning. 

"I'm sorry for doing this again, Thorin."

"Don't worry over it, I'd do anything for you," the words slipped so easily from my lips, and I wished he understood how much I really meant them. 

"Do you think maybe I could ask one more favor?" He sounded hesitant. 

"What is it?" I wasn't sure what exactly to expect. 

"Could you hold me?" The words were so quiet I barely heard them. 

My heart fluttered in my chest; he had just asked me to hold him, he actually wanted my arms around him. There was a good chance it was only because he was still frightened from his nightmare, but I really didn't care. I turned onto my side, reaching out into the darkness until I found him, and gently pulled Bilbo's back flush against my chest, wrapping an arm protectively around him. 

He let out a sigh and was quickly asleep, his light snores reverberating against me. I was too excited to even think about doing the same, because it was like a dream come true for me. It was so perfect, and could only have been made better if I knew he was mine, but surely he at least thought of me as a little more than just a friend if he came to me after nightmares and asked to be held in my arms. I wouldn't fret over it though, I had something much more important in my arms to snuggle with.


	5. An Awkward Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh how will Thorin cope with being naked in bed with Bilbo? Find out, it's pretty funny.

I felt extremely warm, and in a half-asleep state I tried to push off the covers to find it wasn't at all blankets or furs that made me so warm, but Bilbo. We had shifted during the night, and I was lying on my back with him curled against my side, one hand dangerously close to my very erect member.

Right... I knew there was something I was supposed to remember to worry about in the morning, and it was very painfully obvious to me now what exactly that was. I decided right then I would never again pleasure myself unless it was behind a securely locked door, or sleep naked for that matter. 

My only dilemma then was how to get my trousers from the floor and put them on without waking up the halfling. First, I reached down and very carefully lifted his hand off of me, gently setting it on the mattress. Ever so slowly I tried to inch my way towards the edge of the bed, pausing each time Bilbo so much as breathed the slightest bit irregularly. I had barely made any headway in my mission before he shifted, wrapping his arm around my chest and snuggling closer. I let out an exasperated sigh and looked down at his head nestled against my shoulder, but my irritation wasn't long lived. It was difficult to see his face from the angle he had his head resting, but I could just barely glimpse a small smile gracing his lips, and it made me smile to myself. 

I tried again, to lift his arm off me and retreat to the edge of my bed, but it was useless, as soon as I had lifted the appendage and moved even slightly he had embraced me once more, and I gave up, instead staring at the ceiling and trying to think of any other way I could avoid embarrassment. I wracked my brain for at least five minutes, but there wasn't anything else I could think of; it was truly hopeless.

I could simply play innocent and confess I usually sleep naked, maybe he would understand? That wasn't such an awful plan. But what if he would see me before I had a chance to explain and be disgusted? Or what if I aroused him? Perhaps we could become friends with benefits? Although, as appealing as having sex with Bilbo sounded, I wanted that commitment, I needed to know he would be all mine and I could give him all of me. 

I offhandedly pondered setting his delicate little hand on my crotch, but surely that would be taking advantage of him. I wanted to feel his touch in the worst way, hell, I would probably come at the slightest brush of his fingers on me. But no, that was wrong, very wrong, and what if he woke up? I pushed the thoughts aside, as I might legitimately consider the action if I kept with that train of thought. 

I looked at him again, resisting the urge to run a hand through his curls and instead contenting myself with just watching him. He was the most precious thing in my life, but despite my fierce desire to be a part of his, I would let him go if he decided to return to the Shire, or even to be with another. I would suffer through my own unhappiness and heartbreak if it meant he would be happy, but I would only cross that bridge if I came to it, and until then I swore to do everything in my power to make him fall in love with me. 

He began nuzzling into my side, mumbling too quietly for me to understand. His arm slung across my stomach hugged me tighter. 

"You know, you're quite a lovely pillow," he chuckled. 

"Is that so?" I smiled down at him. 

He only nodded in reply, letting out a contented sigh. "It's so nice to wake up in a warm bed."

"Is your room too cold? I can-" 

He cut me off, "No, no, it's just you make the bed twice as warm as I could on my own, it's lovely."

"You're always welcome to come share. I must confess it does get a little chilly when I am alone." That was a rather blatant lie, but if it meant he would share my bed more often it didn't much matter. 

"If this winter's as cold as the last I might take you up on that offer. But right now I really must use the bathroom, as much as I hate to leave this luxurious warmth."

As he left the bed his hand dragged across my stomach, swooping in a low arc that was so close to my groin I had to bite back a whimper. He either knew of my desire for him and was the worst tease I had ever met, or he was simply the most innocent thing I had ever encountered, and either way, he would surely be the death of me. 

When the door to my bathroom was shut behind him I leapt out of the bed and tugged on my pants as fast as I could. I went to my door and peered out, ordering a passing servant to bring us breakfast, which I hoped Bilbo would stay for. I climbed back into the bed then, thankful that the morning had not gone worse. 

He came out of the room and crawled back under the covers as well, shivering slightly at the temperature change. 

"Come closer if you're cold, it's only reasonable to share body heat," I offered. 

He shuffled over until he was sitting right next to me, and I draped an arm over his shoulders. It felt so normal, so _right_ to be like this. I wished it was what I woke to every morning, but with the added ability to shower him with kisses or have slow and loving morning sex. I sighed, turning my attention back to him.

"I see you got a table," he noted. 

I hummed in response, "Would you care to join me for breakfast?" 

"I'd be delighted," he smiled. 

There was a knock at the door, "Good, it seems it's here already." 

I told the person to come in, and indeed it was already our breakfast. "Your Majesty," one of the older women addressed me, bowing. 

"Yes?" 

"I have the books from Master Ori was transcribing for-"

"Yes, set them on the desk," I cut her off. 

"And his list?"

"Put it with the books."

"Master Balin wanted me to inform you that-"

"I will speak with Balin myself later, thank you so very much," I dismissed her. Thank Mahal she hadn't blurted out anything specific concerning the greenhouse, or my surprise would have been thoroughly ruined, much to my disdain. 

When the door shut behind the servants Bilbo nearly shot out of the bed and took a seat at the table, immediately digging in. I chuckled to myself, but didn't point it out, instead addressing my own needs. 

We ate in a companionable silence, and I was again struck by the normalcy of it all. I wished he shared my room, that maybe we could do such things every morning. It made a thought bubble in my head, that perhaps I could find a reason for him to move in with me, but that would take careful consideration on my part to make it look like an innocent offer. 

"So what are those books Ori was transcribing?" Bilbo questioned after a few moments. 

"They're nothing really, just a sort of, pet project, you could say."

"Could I see them?" He gave me hopeful eyes. 

"Not yet, but eventually," I smiled brightly at him. 

"Okay," he smiled in return, turning his attention back to his food. 

"What are you doing today?" I asked, hoping to break the silence that, for me, had become unnerving. 

"Oh, not much, I did promise to show Bombur some of my recipes, but if you require my attention I could always show him another day."

"No, I didn't mean... I was just curious." Although if he was so willing I might find a reason to request his presence in the future. 

"Well in that case I should head back to my room."

"Are you sure you've had enough to eat?"

"Yes, thank you." He pushed out his chair and headed to the door, and I followed him. He turned when he reached it, looking up at me. "Thank you again, for letting me sleep with you."

"There are no thanks needed, it was my pleasure," I wanted so much to hug him to me, to ask him to spend the day with me, or something; anything to spend another moment in his company. 

"Right then. Goodbye, Thorin."

"Goodbye, Bilbo. And don't forget, my door's always open, no matter what you need."

He smiled at me before opening the door and walking down the hallway. I stood there for a second more before turning to dress, making a mental note to find Balin. 

\----

"How long before it's ready?" The eagerness was evident in my voice. 

"At the latest the middle of next week. Good thing it wasn't much affected by the dragon, or it would've taken much longer."

"Good."

"What do you want the old greenhouse for anyway?" Balin gave me a curious glance. 

"I thought it might be a nice thing to have one. And I'm sure Bilbo will lov-"

"Oh, so that's why," he chuckled. 

"What do you mean 'that's why,' what is so wrong about giving my friend something he would enjoy?" 

"So you're giving him the entire greenhouse, are you?" He was laughing even harder. 

"I... Well I... It only makes sense, he knows far more about gardening than any of us."

"Whatever you say," he wiped a stray tear from his eye. 

"Just order the seeds on this list," I growled at him, shoving the paper in his direction and stomping away.


	6. The Greenhouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin finally shows Bilbo his surprise.

I stared at the books on my desk, pondering if I should tie them together. I shrugged and laid the ribbon in my hands down on the flat surface, smoothing it before setting the books on top and tying the string of fabric up around them, topping it with the best bow I could manage. Yes, I thought, that did look much better. 

As an afterthought I gently placed the original journals in an empty desk drawer to ensure nothing could ruin them, before grabbing up the stack I had tied together and heading towards the greenhouse. It was an uneventful walk, as the halls were rather vacant, and before long my feet had planted themselves in front of the familiar door. 

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before entering the greenhouse, my mind flooding with memories and my heart fluttering in anticipation. I steeled myself and pushed open the door, my breath catching in my throat at the sight of the restored room. It nearly sparkled now that all the dust had been removed, even in the little light I was afforded, and the atmosphere was already warm and humid, as Balin had turned on the system. It was just as I remembered it from my childhood, of course with a tremendous lack of plants, but that would soon be amended. 

I set the journals neatly on the desk and wandered further into the room, looking over the seed packets and containers of dirt that were just waiting for Bilbo. I was so excited to show him the next day that I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep much, but that didn't really bother me. 

I couldn't help the large grin splitting my face as I exited the greenhouse, meandering through the hallways with no real destination in mind. I wondered what his reaction would be, but I was sure he would be happy. How could he not be happy when I was offering him such a lovely gift? Hopefully he wouldn't turn it down though, or I would have a fully functional greenhouse for no reason. 

When I did stop walking I found myself in front of another familiar door, although this one opened into a room I had never entered. Instead I often paused in front of it before moving on, never building up the courage to actually knock. I looked longingly at it before I took a step away towards my own room. It would have been rude of me to intrude upon Bilbo's privacy, but what if I were to just stick my head in and have a peek? He would never notice, and it was already past sunset, maybe he was asleep?

I quietly walked back to the door, laying my hand against the cold metal and taking a calming breath, although my heart still continued to beat ferociously in my chest. I took one more breath and held it, ever so slowly opening the door. As soon as there was enough space to peer inside I stuck my head in, releasing my pent up breath in a whoosh that was a bit louder than I wanted. 

Bilbo was curled up on a chair, fast asleep. The book he must have been reading nearly falling out of his hands, and his head had fallen back, causing his mouth to hang open. I nearly laughed at the scene, but held it in to keep from waking him. I debated for a moment whether I should simply walk away and pretend I had never invaded his privacy or put him to bed, and as much as I didn't want to have him wake if I did put him to bed, it would be cruel to leave him to sleep on a chair all night, as it would surely make him sore in the morning, so I silently opened the door further and crept inside.

I gently reached out and pulled the book from his grasp, setting it on the table next to him and marking the page with a stray piece of paper. I was almost afraid to lift him, fearing that the action would wake him and then I would have to explain myself, but I had already committed, so I pushed the fear aside and wrapped one arm behind his back and another under his knees, holding him close to my chest. He shifted slightly, pressing himself closer to me before falling back into sleep. I waited until his breathing was even and deep before moving again, carrying him to the bed and laying him under the covers. I considered removing some of his outer layers, but I wasn't sure I could without getting carried away, so I decided not to. I gently pushed some of his curls back from his forehead and smiled down at him, my chest aching at the thought of leaving, but I knew I couldn't stay, so I turned away from his bed, blew out the candles in his room and quietly left, reminding myself that I would see him the next day. 

\----

"So what is this exciting thing you have to show me?" Bilbo looked up at me. 

"It's a surprise," I offered. 

"I do hope it's not another tour of the mine, I don't think I could be enthusiastic about seeing more rocks." 

"No, it's something you haven't seen before. And what's so wrong with my rocks?"

"It's all I ever see in this blasted mountain, it's a wonder none of you dwarves ever get tired of them," he chuckled. 

"You're just mad you can't tell them apart like we can. If you would just try to take an interest maybe you wouldn't find them so boring."

"Oh, and I suppose you wouldn't find plants boring if you were surrounded by them all the time?"

"I would at least give it a chance before deciding they're boring, Master Baggins," I smirked at him. 

"Don't you 'Master Baggins' me, we've gone over that many times," he playfully elbowed me. 

"Yes, we have, I'm sorry."

A few more steps later we stopped in front of the door to the greenhouse, my heart racing in my chest. 

"Close your eyes," I ordered. 

"Why?" He looked at me skeptically. 

"Just close them, please." His eyes narrowed at me for a second before he obliged. "Promise you won't peek?"

"Yes, yes, I promise," he sounded nearly as impatient as I felt. 

I opened the door in front of him and gently guided him inside, situating him so he could see as much of he room as possible. I leaned over his shoulder, my lips dangerously close to his ear as I whispered, "You can look now."

I heard his breath catch in his throat as he looked around, his eyes wide and his mouth caught between gaping and smiling. I chuckled quietly at him; at least it was obvious he found the room impressive. 

"This is beautiful, Thorin."

"I'm glad you think so, because it's yours," he turned to look at me, still gaping. 

"Me?" He pointed to himself, "Why?"

"I know how much you enjoy gardening, and the room was just sitting abandoned, so I figured you might like to have it," I smiled at him. 

"I..." He embraced me, his arms barely able to wrap all the way around, and I hugged him back. "Thank you," he looked up at me, smiling so bright I thought I might never breathe again. 

He then broke away from me, venturing further into the room to look around, while I was stuck, my heart beating so fast in my chest I thought it might explode. Yes, I decided, more presents were in order of they made him so happy. 

"What are these?" He held up one of the journals. 

"They should help you with growing things in here; they're old notes from when my grandmother used the greenhouse." 

He nodded and sent me an odd smile before setting the book down to look around at other things. 

We spent the rest of the day together in the greenhouse; he examined nearly every aspect of the room and asked questions every now and then, while I was content to just watch him and answer what I could.


	7. Meetings

I tiredly ran a hand over my face as I walked back to my quarters, completely worn out from the handful of stressful meetings I had attended that day. Every little detail had been gone over at least thrice, and without Balin I might have completely lost my mind, but thank Mahal he was there to help. 

Many times during the meetings my mind had wandered to what Bilbo might have been doing, although I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he was up in his greenhouse, gardening to his heart's content. It had been well over a week since the last time I had even seen him, but after a day shirking my duties to spend time with him, the weight of the crown had come back to bite me in the ass, and I found myself buried to my neck in paperwork with numerous meetings to attend and important people to talk to, missing my hobbit more with each passing second. 

I pushed open my door and set straight to undressing, not bothering to light any candles to illuminate the space. When I was comfortably in the trousers I usually slept in I let myself fall onto the bed, thankful to finally have a moment to relax, closing my eyes to just absorb the moment of peace. 

"Thorin?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at Bilbo's voice beside me, "What are you doing here?" 

"Well I... You weren't back so I just figured you wouldn't mind if... I'll just go then, I'm sorry..." I felt the the mattress shift as he moved to leave. 

"No!" I shot my hand out, thankfully grabbing him by the wrist, "I didn't mean that you had to leave, I just wasn't expecting you to be here."

"You're sure you don't mind?"

"Bilbo, you are welcome in here any time," I told him softly. 

I felt him shuffle closer, until we were practically touching, and I closed the gap between us, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close, sighing contentedly into his soft curls. I wished I could come back to find him in my bed every night, it was comforting to have him there with me

"I'm happy you're here," the words quietly escaped my lips, and I wasn't sure if he heard them or not, but he didn't reply. 

I was so tired, but I didn't want to close my eyes quite yet, because then I would lose that special moment. I lived for those private nights we shared, even though they were few and far between. It was the only time I could touch him, feel him so close to me, and it was wonderfully intimate, even if we weren't. Being so close to him both sated me and made me crave more, because while I was content to hold him I wanted so much more than those simple touches. 

I sighed, and just listened to his breathing, taking comfort in the even sound. After a few minutes, when I was sure he was asleep, I moved my head, until my lips were hovering above his shoulder. I lightly brushed them over the fabric of his shirt, wishing I was making contact with his bare skin, and pressed a kiss to him before laying my head back down on the pillow and giving in to sleep. 

\-----

I woke early, only out of necessity, and lay in bed looking up at the ceiling for a few minutes, just holding my halfling close to me. If it weren't for the early meetings I wouldn't have even considered leaving, but I couldn't possibly be late for the renewal of the trade agreements with Mirkwood, especially since Thranduil would be in attendance. 

I slowly disentangled myself from Bilbo, and thankfully he didn't latch on like he had that unfortunate morning I was naked and trying to retrieve my pants. 

I stood beside the bed, making sure he was still asleep, before getting ready for the day, always keeping one eye on him. 

When I was dressed I tried to stall further, hoping he might wake up so I could talk to him, but at the same time hoping he would stay sleeping, because he looked so peaceful; curled up in a ball with his head barely poking out from the blankets. I considered waking him up, but decided against it, because really there was no point in waking him at such an hour. I made my way towards the door, accepting that staying any longer would make me late, until I had an idea, and quietly rushed over to my desk. 

I grabbed a sheet of paper and began scrawling a note for him, pausing often to think through what words to say. 

'Dear Bilbo,  
I am sorry to leave you, but I have an early meeting and cannot delay much longer. Perhaps later I will visit you in your greenhouse, if I can find the time. 

-Thorin

p.s. Do you require anything? For the greenhouse or yourself?'

When it was finished I gave it a final read through, making sure I hadn't made some grave error, and set it on the table before going to the door. 

I opened it, but stopped, looking back at his sleeping form longingly before walking out of the room. On the way to the council chamber I ordered a servant to have breakfast ready for him when he awoke, which likely wouldn't be for another hour or two at the least. I envied him, slightly, for being able to sleep longer, but it put a smile on my face to know he was sleeping in my bed again.


	8. Problems

I looked back at the crack in the wall I had been staring at for the past three hours, tuning out Dain's advisers as they droned on about some tiny detail that didn't matter in the least. If I could have found a way to avoid meetings I would have; they were the dullest things imaginable, and Balin was more than capable of handling them on his own. 

My thoughts wandered to Bilbo, as usual, and I wondered if he was already in his bed, or hopefully mine, sleeping peacefully while I had to suffer through another long hour of the meeting at hand. Speaking of which, I really needed to have Balin revise the schedule, because I hated when they lasted into the night. 

The mumble of their voices stopped, and I looked back to the other dwarves to see if I had once again missed some question directed my way, but their eyes were wide, their faces ghostly pale, and I belatedly realized the mountain was tremoring. It wasn't violent, at least where we were at, but that didn't mean the rest of Erebor was safe. My heart was beating savagely in my chest, my breathing had increased dramatically, and my mind was conjuring up every possible and impossible scenario while I prayed to Mahal that everyone would be kept safe, especially my hobbit. The rumbling gradually died down, before altogether stopping, and the door to the room burst open. 

"Thorin!" Dwalin came barreling through the doors, any formality usually used in front of outsiders forgotten. "Collapse..." he spat out between harsh breaths, and I leapt from my chair, not waiting for any more information. 

We ran through the hallways together at breakneck speeds, and with each step forward my hope seemed to shatter a little more, until we were standing in front of some rooms, which were now covered with fallen rock. Handfuls of dwarrow were picking away at the collapse, and the rooms would either be thankfully empty, or we would find bodies within. 

"How... Why?" 

"Not sure yet, but right now we're just trying to see if any are alive within."

"You know that's unlikely," I lowered my voice. 

"But not impossible," he shrugged. 

While we were still trying to regain our breath I surveyed the situation more closely, "Why is nobody trying to get into that room." 

"I guess they're more worried about dwarves than the hobbit."

"Bilbo!? That's Bilbo's room?"

Dwalin nodded, realization dawning on his face as well. My thoughts had of course went straight to Bilbo when I felt the mountain shake, but I hadn't noticed the room we were standing in front of was his, but then again, everything looked so different at the moment and it was hard to recognize exactly where we were. 

I flung myself toward his chambers and began picking away at the rocks with my bare hands, carelessly casting the loose ones aside as I struggled to get inside. I knew it wasn't possible for him to have survived if he was within, but I had to look, I had to see for myself if he was in there. 

"Thorin," I felt a hand on my shoulder, and though I tried to shrug it off, the grip only tightened, until I turned and looked up at Dwalin. 

"Let me go, I need to see if he's inside, I need to-"

"I'll do this, you go check if he's in another part of Erebor." 

"Dwalin-"

"Go, you know better than anyone where he might be," he gave me a sympathetic look. 

I nodded, trying to convince myself that perhaps Bilbo was in some other part of the mountain, and ran off. I went to my chambers first, which thankfully hadn't collapsed as well. The room was empty, much to my despair, and I was just about to rush off to check the greenhouse when I remembered the note he had written me three days before. I ripped open the desk drawer containing my grandmother's journals and retrieved the note, clutching it to my chest. 

If he was gone, it was the only thing I would have of him, and I felt the need to hold it close to me, as if that might ensure his safety. I took a steadying breath, and held the paper out so I could quickly read over the curving letters that were more dear to me than any amount of gold. 

'Dear Thorin,  
I'm sorry if I startled you last night, it wasn't my intention. I am also sorry you aren't here to take breakfast with me, but I suppose I'll be fine on my own. It would be nice of you to visit me in the greenhouse, there is much I'd like to show you. 

I will have to think about your question, but at the moment there is nothing that I require.' 

I folded the note and gently shoved it into an inner pocket of my coat before running off to try to find him, praying that he was anywhere but his room. I refused to let my mind wander to where he might be or what might have happened, instead focusing on my destination and the steady stomp of my boots on stone as I rushed through the mountain.

I pushed open the door without pausing, wildly searching for him in the dim room. I ducked to look under tables and searched every corner, but it was empty the same as my room had been, and my heart was sinking like a stone in my chest. I refused to believe he was dead, because he couldn't be, he just couldn't. I tried to think of some other place he might be, but my mind was too crowded with despair. 

I ran out of the room, not having any particular destination in mind, but my feet took me to the library, which admittedly was a good place to search. I burst into the large room, running around to search every nook and cranny, but it was empty as well. 

I was about to run back out the door, when I heard some grumbling in a far corner that I realized I had neglected to search in my haste. I followed the low voice, and my heart soared when my eyes rested on Bilbo, who was rising from one of the couches. I couldn't help myself, and rushed forward, enveloping him in a hug. 

Tears were undoubtedly streaming down my face, but I didn't care, he was safe in my arms and that was all that mattered to me. I was about to let the words tumble out of my mouth that would tell him how much I cared for him, that I loved him, but I held my tongue. He had just lost his quarters and likely any possessions within; that was no time to unceremoniously confess my feelings, even if they were right on the tip of my tongue. I decided if I were to tell him, it would be in the right time and place, not then. 

He giggled before questioning, "What's that for?" 

I held him at arms length, "I thought you were dead! There was a collapse and-"

His eyes widened, "A collapse? Where?"

"Your room, and some others. They're buried under rock," I explained. 

"Thank heavens I fell asleep here then..." He paused, as if collecting his thoughts, before asking, "So you're saying its destroyed then, my room?"

"Yes, it'll take them a while to dig through the rubble and rebuild what was damaged."

"I suppose I should find somebody to stay with in the meantime then," he looked away. 

I was frozen for a moment, debating whether I should offer to let him share my room, but in the end I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have him move in with me, even though it wouldn't be permanent. "You could stay with me."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose-"

"Nonsense, I insist," my heart was fluttering in my chest at the thought of actually living with him. 

"Thank you, I don't know what I'd do without you," he smiled up at me, and I couldn't help but think his statement should be entirely reversed.

We walked back to my room, well, our room, in relative silence, but halfway there I realized I couldn't retire for the night while others were still attending to the collapse, so I left Bilbo go back alone while I headed off towards the dwarves still digging through the rubble. 

\------

Many hours later, when the sun was just beginning to rise, and after everything and everyone had been dealt with, I made my way back to my room. I collapsed on the bed, too tired to bother with even taking off my boots, and promptly fell asleep.


	9. Another Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just another awkward morning.

A hand was lightly brushing through my hair, nimble fingers leisurely untangling the knots. It felt lovely to have someone play with my dark locks, to feel the soft tugs as the hand sifted through the long tendrils. I leaned slightly into the touch, before my eyes snapped open. 

I was still in bed, and curled around a small pair of legs, my head resting on a similarly small lap. I cursed my luck, and gulped, momentarily frozen in place. My head was on Bilbo's lap, so close to his cock it almost pained me. Maybe I could pretend to still be asleep and turn to face his lovely dick? Perhaps I could even mouth it through his trousers? Or maybe I could nonchalantly place my hand beside my head? That might work, and then I might finally have a chance to feel his little love sausage. A groan tried to work its way up my throat at my thoughts, but I smothered it before he could hear me. 

I wanted to touch him so badly my fingers ached while my mouth watered at the thought of tasting him. It was so hard to remember why I hadn't confessed my love, because my body was all but dripping lust for the small man I was snuggling against. 

Worse yet, instead of still being in my clothes from the previous day I was only in a pair of trousers, which was odd considering I distinctly remembered not undressing before falling into the bed. He must have disrobed me while I slept, which was slightly unnerving to say the least. What if I had done something in my sleep-deprived state and just didn't remember it?

"Are you finally awake?" He said above me, dragging me from my thoughts. 

I shifted to look up at him, not removing my head from his lap. He smiled down at me, a book in one hand, while the other was still playing in my hair. I wanted to stay there, right in that spot forever, but I made myself sit up next to him instead. 

"What time is it?" I asked. 

"I'd say it's about noon, but I'm not entirely sure."

"Shit, I must've missed at least two meetings already, I should get go-"

"No, you haven't missed anything."

"How do you know that?"

"I told Balin that you needed a day off," he shrugged. 

"I didn't need a day off, I would have been perfectly fine," I told him indignantly. 

"Yes, well, you might have been fine, but you would have been a terrible grouch."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away from him, my pride slightly wounded. 

"Oh, come off it," he playfully elbowed me. 

I elbowed him back, slightly rougher, and he returned the jab, putting his weight into it this time. I took the book from his hand, throwing it to the floor before pinning him to the bed, trying to find his ticklish spots. I couldn't so much as make him giggle before he attacked my sides, throwing me into a laughing fit. I fell to the side to avoid crushing him, and he moved to straddle my hips to continue tickling me. I tried to push him off, but I was laughing so hard I couldn't do much more than try to gasp for breath. He was laughing along with me, and the lovely sound accompanied my lower tones wonderfully. 

I begged him to stop, which he thankfully did, although he pinned my hands to the sides of my head to ensure I couldn't seek my revenge. He smiled down at me, and we both took the time to catch our breath, our chests nearly brushing as we gulped in as much air as possible. 

I noticed then, how close he was. To pin my arms down he had to lean over me, which put his face mere inches from mine, and the proximity of his lips stole my breath. My gaze flitted between his sparkling hazel eyes and his bright smile, and I wasn't sure which was the nicer to stare at. I so wanted to lean up and press a soft kiss to his lips, to put a hand to the back of his neck and guide him into an openmouthed kiss, but suddenly his smile faded and he quickly got off of me, scrambling to sit against the headboard. 

\------

I stood with my back against the door to my quarters, unsure of what to do. I had made up some excuse to leave when the atmosphere had diffused into awkward silence, but really I only wanted to spend more time with him. I considered going back into the room and apologizing, although for what exactly I wasn't sure, but instead I headed off to find Balin. 

The old dwarf was, as usual, attending to some paperwork in a council chamber, and when I approached him he gave me a knowing look. 

"What is it you need now?" He asked while he continued to read through a document. 

"I need you to find me an armchair."

"Anything more specific, or just a regular armchair?"

"A very comfortable one, like the ones at Bilbo's house. In fact about his size if you could manage it, or do you think maybe it should be bigger?"

He peered up at me, "Laddie, are you ever just going to ask him to marry you? Because I don't believe he's caught on yet that you have feelings for him."

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm merely giving a present to a friend," I stated. 

"Oh, and I suppose the greenhouse was just another present to a friend?"

"Yes," I replied indignantly. 

"Well, I don't see you trying to give anything to other members of the company."

"Other members of the company feel at home in the mountain, I'm just trying to make sure Bilbo feels welcome," I reasoned. 

"If that's your lie I suppose you can tell it however you like."

"It's not a lie." I went to leave, before turning to add, "Oh, by the way, do you think you could manage to find a really big bow to put on it? Preferably one of a deep red color." I smiled at him, but he merely shook his head and rolled his eyes in reply.


	10. Bathing

I walked back to my quarters, my mind set on taking a nice warm bath. Despite 'having the day off' I had ended up attending to a multitude of things after I talked to Balin, and I wanted nothing more than to relax. 

When I finally reached my room I headed straight through to the bathroom, stripping the clothes on the upper half of my body along the way. I pushed open the door just as I finished tugging my shirt off over my head, but stopped, noting that something was off. The room was lit, steam was heavy in the air and clouding the mirror, and I realized Bilbo was standing in front of me, his back turned as he toweled himself off. My jaw dropped as my eyes roamed over his exposed back, taking in the droplets covering his skin that sparkled in the light. I watched one in particular, as it slid down the expanse of skin, following the line of his spine until it disappeared between the round globes of his ass. I could feel my pants tightening as my dick grew rapidly, and my throat involuntarily let out a strangled noise, causing him to whirl around and yelp in surprise, subsequently dropping his towel. His hair was dark from the water, but he had already run the towel over it, and it was a beautiful mess on his head. I swallowed, my eyes darting between the bright blush crawling up his cheeks and his beautiful prick, which I was sad to note was soft. He stood frozen for a moment, his eyes wide, before he reached for the nearest object, which happened to be my hairbrush, and chucked it towards me, successfully hitting my forehead. 

"Thorin! Get out!"

"Sorry, I... Sorry..." The words were hard to form, but after I managed to push them past my lips I forced myself to turn around and exit the room, shutting the door behind me. 

I sat down on the edge of the bed, which happened to be on his side, and rested my elbows on my knees, and my head in my open palms. I silently berated myself, rubbing my forehead in frustration. How could I have forgotten he would be there?

I tried to feel sorry for walking in on him while he was naked, but the lovely images of his body flashed through my mind, and I couldn't make myself feel bad for witnessing such beauty. His skin was so pale and inviting, I just wanted to take a bite out of his precious arse. I imagined kissing up that unblemished skin, feeling it's softness under my lips. Not to mention all the things I wanted to do to his cock, especially now that I knew what it actually looked like...

I shook my head, trying to rid it of all my dirty thoughts, and shifting the full blown erection straining at my trousers. I was such an awful friend.

The door to the bathroom soon opened, and I looked up to find him in one of my shirts, which hung halfway down his thighs. His legs were bare underneath, and I wondered if he was wearing anything under them. 

"Why are you in my shirt?" I quirked an eyebrow at him. 

"Well considering most of my clothes are currently under a ton of rock and I'm not putting the dirty ones back on I had no other choice."

"Would you like some pants as well?" I asked, standing and heading towards my dresser. 

"Uh, no, I tried some on, but they're all much too large."

"Oh, right." I nodded, stopping in the middle of the room and holding my hands behind my back. 

"You wouldn't happen to have any small clothes would you? I couldn't find a single pair when I was looking earlier."

"No, I don't find any need for them."

"Don't find any-" he paused and gave me a quizzical look, before continuing, "Isn't it weird not to wear any?"

"No," I answered. 

"Oh, okay then," he mumbled something to himself that I didn't quite catch. "The bathroom's all yours now," he gestured towards the room behind him, and moving over to the bed. 

"I'm sorry for walking in on you, it sort of slipped my mind that you would be here," I could feel heat coloring the tips of my ears. 

"It's fine. Although, do it again and I might throw something more damaging," he looked back at me and smiled. 

"Wouldn't dream of it."

I entered the bathroom, closing the door securely behind me and leaning back against it. I would have to do something soon, because it was eating away at my self control to be around him so often and unable to display my affections. I considered for a moment if it was too soon, but I had tried before, so many times before, and he could only tell me no once more, and maybe that time it would finally sink into my thick skull. 

I nodded resolutely, and pushed myself off of the door to turn on the water. I stripped my remaining clothes while it was filling, and as soon as it was at a satisfactory level, I sank down into the warmth, letting a moan of appreciation escape my lips. After a long day there was nothing I loved more than easing into the tub and letting the warm water ease my tension, but it would be just as lovely to feel a pair of hands rubbing the tension from me as well, Bilbo's especially.

Of course, the though of him touching me led to less appropriate thoughts, like taking baths together or a little hand wrapped around me, and I looked down at my lap, considering stroking myself to completion while I had those moments of privacy, but my mind also entertained the fear that he might walk in on me again. It was unlikely, but there was still a chance, and I wouldn't be able to hide in the dark like I had before. I wondered what he would think if he did walk in while I was pleasuring myself, if he would be disgusted, or if perhaps he would join in. 

I sighed, ignoring my straining member, and instead focusing on washing myself. The lather of soap felt beautiful against my skin, and I was reminded how much of a luxury it had been during my exile.

After I had thoroughly washed, rinsed, and dried myself, I dressed in my usual trousers I wore to sleep, which I thankfully had the foresight to grab before I dashed into the bathroom. My hair was still annoyingly wet, but it was as dry as I could get it, so I blew out the light in the room, and went back into the bedroom, picking up my hairbrush up from the floor along the way. 

Bilbo was reading a book, already snuggled under the covers, and I took up my spot beside him, resting my back against the headboard. 

"What are you reading?" I asked as I began brushing through my long hair. 

"It's just a story about elves," he said, partially closing the book so he could look at the cover in admiration. 

I made a face at the mention of elves, but he playfully swatted at my arm when he saw my expression. Silence ensued for a few moments, broken only by the turning of a page or my grunts when I found a particularly tough knot. 

"Can I do that?" Bilbo asked. 

"Do what?" 

"Brush your hair," His eyes were big and hopeful. 

I didn't even give it a thought, before thrusting the brush into his hands and turning to face the wall so he could more easily access all of my hair. I felt the bed shift behind me, until he settled himself, with his legs crossed and his knees resting against either side of my lower back. I could feel his bare skin against mine, and it sent an involuntary shiver down my spine at the contact. 

He began brushing through my dark tresses, humming to himself as he gently untangled my hair. He was more patient with it than I was myself, and it didn't nearly hurt as much as when I tried to force the brush through the tangles. It felt so wonderful when his fingers would stroke through it as well, better yet when they skimmed over my skin to move the tendrils to where he wanted them. It was such a relaxing experience, and I couldn't help it when I leaned back lightly and let out a low moan. His tune stopped as he giggled behind me, but resumed shortly, and he continued on with his work. 

It was over all too soon, and I almost asked him to braid it as well, but I held my tongue. That would come soon enough, and there was no need to jump to that step, especially when he blabbered on about respectability so often. 

There was an unspoken agreement that we were both ready to sleep, and he marked his page in his book while I set my hairbrush on the table at my side of the bed. I snuggled down into the covers, watching as he carefully arranged everything on his bedside table, before blowing out the candle and casting the room in darkness. 

The bed shifted, until I assumed he was comfortable, and I made to wrap my arms around him, before I considered that this was different than before. He wasn't scared and asking for my company, he was here out of necessity. I wanted to hold him so badly my fingers nearly itched, but I didn't want to make him uncomfortable. I was debating with myself what I should do, when he shifted to press against me, silently answering my unspoken question. 

I wrapped my arms around him, sighing happily into his damp curls. I was about to fall asleep, when a thought entered my mind; he surely must have harbored some feelings for me if he let me hold him like that while we slept. A smile graced my lips, and I drifted off to happy thoughts of weddings and proposals.


	11. An Armchair

I walked towards the greenhouse with a smile on my face, eager to see Bilbo and even more so to give him his present. Balin had finally found me an armchair, as well as a giant bow, like I had requested, and the piece of furniture had been meticulously situated before I thought it was perfect enough to present to Bilbo. 

I paused in front of the greenhouse door, before slowly opening it and quietly entering, though I wasn't quite sure why I was being so secretive. I peered around the room, trying to find him, and when my eyes rested on his mop of hair my breath caught in my throat; he was awash in the fading light, which turned his curls to a brilliant gold, and made the sheen of sweat on his forehead sparkle slightly. He took a hand from the pot he had been playing in and wiped it across his forehead, covering even more of his face in dirt. He looked in his element, covered in brown smudges and surrounded by light and growing plants. 

"Thorin!" He nearly yelled when he spotted me, waving excitedly with a bright smile on his face. 

I walked towards him, flashing him a warm smile in return, "Bilbo, I see you're enjoying gardening."

"Very much," he smiled even brighter. "Oh! Come look at this," he moved off to a different part of the room, beckoning me to follow. 

I walked behind him, noting how much of him really was covered in dirt. He seemed to have gotten it on almost every part of his body, but the marks that stood out the most to me were the matching handprints smudged across each of his wonderfully rounded arse cheeks and I had to resist the urge to reach out and grab them. 

I let myself imagine adding my own dirty handprints to his ass, and maybe one on his lovely crotch as well. My mouth went dry at the thought of bending him over one of the tables, taking him hard and fast as I pushed him down into the loose dirt-

"Are you alright?" Bilbo's interrupted my thoughts. 

"Oh, yes. I was just... Thinking. About a meeting I have later."

He giggled at me, "Come over here and stop thinking so much."

He stopped in front of one bench, leaning down over it to look at the dirt more closely, giving me an even better look at his pert little ass, and I had to stifle a whimper at the sight. 

I leaned down beside him, whispering into his ear, "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"This," he chuckled, tugging on the the collar of my shirt to pull me closer to him, pointing out the tiniest shoot of green just barely poking out of the soil. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, smiling to myself at the way he intently stared at the tiny plant, as if that might make it grow faster. 

He looked back to me, a proud smile on his face, and I noticed how close we were. He was pressed tightly against me, one of his hands still gripping onto my shirt. It would have taken only a few inches, and we would be kissing. 

My eyes flitted between his soft lips and his beautiful eyes, which looked at me in an almost longing manner. I was caught in that moment, waiting to see what would happen next. I pondered whether I should lean in, just kiss him without a formal declaration of my love, and just as I had decided and began to close my eyes and lean in, he abruptly stood and wandered back over to the bench he had been at earlier, leaving me awkwardly bent over by the lone green shoot sticking out of an all-to-large pot. 

I stood, brushing imaginary dirt off my coat, pretending not to be upset that I hadn't made my move before he had walked away. He fixedly stared at his hands as he worked in the dirt, making me slightly jealous that he was giving the soil his undivided attention. 

I aimlessly walked around the room, observing his handiwork thus far, which had only resulted in the one tiny plant, but he had perfect rows of containers, all labeled with his neat looping lettering. 

"What brings you here anyway?" He asked while I was trying to decipher the name on one labeled pot. 

"I have something to show you," I glanced over at him, but he was still focused on his work. 

"Another surprise?" He looked up, one eyebrow quirked. 

"Yes," I smiled at him, and he shook his head, an amused grin on his face. 

He retracted his hands from the pot of dirt, brushing as much off of them as he could, before removing the apron he used to keep the dirt from ruining his clothes, although it wasn't as effective when he decided to wipe the dirt off on his ass. 

"Can I ask where we're going, or is that a surprise too?" 

I nodded, smiling. He rolled his eyes and tried to brush off the dirt that had managed to get on his clothing. "Did I get it all?" 

"You missed a few spots."

He walked over to stand in front of me, "Help me?" 

I brushed the dirt off him as best I could, starting with his right shoulder, moving up to brush it out of his curls, then his left bicep. I tilted his face up, gently brushing off the smudge across his forehead, followed by the imaginary one on his chin, my thumb ghosting over the soft skin of his bottom lip. I almost didn't stop myself from leaning down and claiming his mouth, but instead I ordered him to turn around. Bilbo quickly complied, and I brushed all the traces of dirt from his back before going to his beautiful arse, holding in a moan as I kept myself from squeezing the beautiful globes. 

"All good," my voice was a little broken, but he didn't seem to notice. 

"Well then, lead the way," he motioned towards the door, and I held it open for him, before leading him down the hall towards our room. 

"Close your eyes," I told him after only a few steps. 

"Already?" 

"Mhmm," I replied, I didn't want him to recognize which direction we were headed in. 

"You better not let me fall," he gave me a hard stare for a second before complying. 

"Never."

I took hold of his hand, twining our fingers together and leading him through the hallway beside me. We stayed mostly quiet, the silence broken only when I informed him we were going down a flight of stairs, when I would take the opportunity to place a guiding hand on the small of his back. When we finally reached our door, I considered leading him around a little more, if only to hold his hand longer, but I was too eager to see his expression at his present. I opened the door, ushering him inside, before placing him directly in front of the plush chair. 

I stood at the perfect spot to watch his reaction before telling him, "You can look now."

His eyes grew wide, his mouth gaping before the ends curved up into a beautiful smile. He tentatively took the few steps towards the piece of furniture, running a hand lovingly over the fabric. He giggled when his fingers played with the maroon bow larger than his head. 

"You didn't have do this," he looked back at me. 

"I wanted to," I shrugged. 

He walked over to embrace me, although it wasn't exactly as enthusiastic a hug as I had received after gifting him the greenhouse, it was still lovely to have his arms wrapped around me for those all-too-short seconds. 

"Thank you."

"No thanks needed, I'm just happy you like it."

He smiled at me, and I thought his eyes might have been slightly watery, but I attributed it to my imagination. 

"Well, I should be going, there's a meeting I have to attend." 

"Oh, alright. I'll see you later," he flashed me a grateful smile before I turned to leave. 

\---

I wiped at the sweat running down my face, cursing the heat of the forges even though they were necessary for my work. I carefully carved tiny veins onto another small leaf, my concentration wholly on the jewelry I was crafting. 

"Do you think he'll accept this time," Dwalin asked behind me. 

"I suppose we'll find out," I gritted through clenched teeth. 

"How many times?" He asked. 

"How many times what?"

"How many times have you tried and he's turned you down?"

"I haven't been keeping count."

He snorted, "We both know that's a lie. Now come on, how many times?"

"Seven..." 

"Let's hope eight is your lucky number," He pushed off the column he was leaning on, leaving me alone with my work. I fervently hoped Bilbo would finally accept my gift, because I had promised myself I wouldn't try for a ninth time.


	12. An anklet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I didn't finish this chapter sooner, but I didn't want to leave you with any cliffhangers or that kind of crap, so I went all the way to the end. 
> 
> I suppose I should warn you this chapter has smut, but after the beginning of this fic I don't think it should come as much of a shock. Anyway, enjoy.

I stood outside the door to the chambers I shared with Bilbo, my heart pounding so hard in my chest it seemed as if I had been running endless laps around the mountain rather than standing there for ten minutes trying to build up the courage to enter. I was thrumming with excitement and hope, but those emotions seemed buried under a mountain of anxiety. 

I took a deep, steadying breath, forcing myself to open the door and enter before I could change my mind again. Bilbo was curled up on his new armchair, his attention focused on the book in his hands. He peered up at me through his lashes, and small smile of greeting appearing on his lips before he buried his nose in the book once more. 

I considered turning around and saving the gift for another day, but I refused to let myself back out just because my stomach was fluttering with apprehension. 

"Bilbo, I... I have a gift for you," I walked closer to his chair. 

"It's not another armchair is it?" He giggled, looking back up from his reading. 

"No, I... Here" I presented him the delicate anklet composed of intricately carven golden vines with tiny flowers and leaves. 

He set his book down on a nearby stand, before carefully picking the piece of jewelry up from my open hand, "This is for me?"

"Yes, of course," I smiled tentatively at him. 

"Where did you get it? It's so beautiful."

"I made it," I told him proudly. 

"You made this? For me?" His eyes grew slightly wider. 

"Yes, just for you."

"I... thank you," he smiled at me. 

I was breathless for a second, absolutely sure my heart had stopped beating. He had said yes, finally he had accepted! I was so elated I leant down and pulled him into my arms, lifting him from the chair and causing him to squeak out a surprised giggle. I was tempted to kiss him as well, but I wouldn't push anything, not when he had finally accepted, so instead I kept hugging him, pouring all my emotion into the simple embrace. 

I was reluctant to remove my arms from around his small body and set him on the floor, but I couldn't hold him forever. I gently lowered him until his feet were firmly on the ground, my hands lingering on his arms for a few moments, before falling away. 

"May I put it on you?" I asked, my voice a gravelly whisper.

"Sure," he sounded a little breathless, and I was slightly concerned I might have held him too tight. 

He held out the delicate band, and I gently took it, my rough fingers brushing over the soft skin of his hand. I knelt before him, clasping the golden band around his left ankle, looking up to see him softly smiling down at me.

When I stood I noticed how impossibly close we were, his bright hazel eyes so near, staring into my very soul and assuring me that everything would be alright. Each second seemed to draw us closer together, the air practically crackling with anticipation, until he leaned in, his eyes fluttering closed, and his lips gently brushed over mine. 

My eyes drew shut of their own accord, my hands drawing up to smooth over his back as his lips started to move against mine, his tongue licking the seam of my lips to seek entrance, which I readily gave him. He moaned into my mouth, the sound muffled as our tongues danced together in an impassioned intensity that seemed ever-growing...

Until he stopped to suck in deep breaths of much needed air, before he seemed to realize himself, and gasped, a hand going up to cover his kiss-swollen lips. 

"Oh Yavanna, that was a horrid mistake. Thorin, I... I'm sorry. I have to go," he began backing away from me, headed towards the door. 

"What do you mean? Where are you going?" 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." His back hit the door, and he quickly opened it and rushed out. 

"Bilbo wait!"

I tried to run after him, but when I threw opened the doors and tried to spy him running down a hallway, I was only met with empty torch-filled passages. 

"Bilbo!" I tried to yell out, but his name caught on a sob, and I retreated back into the empty room. 

Tears blurred my vision, and I let my legs carry me to the bed, which I fell onto, clutching his pillow to my chest and inhaling his earthy scent. All of the times I had previously asked he had politely turned me down, telling me he didn't particularly like jewelry or that the piece wasn't his style, never before had I been informed it was a 'horrible mistake' to try to give him a gift of my love. 

He must have only accepted out of pity, feeling bad that I had tried so many times and been turned down, and he must have realized when he kissed me that pity wasn't the right basis for a relationship. 

I remained there for the rest of the day, unable to do much more than feel my heart continually break inside my chest. I cried often, sometimes loud wails that echoed the despair in my heart, other times a soft sob that came out as nothing more than a quiet whimper as hot tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn't be bothered to get up, not even when my throat was parched, I simply cried onto his pillow, cursing myself for asking once more when it was so clearly evident he wanted to be nothing more than friends. He might be completely gone from my life because of my stupid actions, and I dreaded most the thought that I might have driven him back to his home in the Shire. 

I stayed up well into the night, drowning in my sorrowful thoughts and hoping beyond hope that he might at least come back for the night, but there was no quiet knock at the door, no soft click as the knob turned; he didn't come back, and I must have cried myself to sleep at some point. 

\---

I felt soft fingers tentatively brush over one of my cheeks, the touch extremely light, as if I might brake under more force. It lifted, only to come back down over an eyelid, ever-so-lightly striking down until it brushed against my lashes. The fingers disappeared again, only to trail down my nose, stopping to trace my lips, going over the soft skin thrice. When the contact left once more, it came back to cup the side of my face, pressing a little more forcefully, the thumb brushing over my cheekbone, before disappearing for the last time. I reached out to try to grab the hand, to hold it against my cheek and beg it not to leave, but my hand merely grasped a pillow, and I realized I must have merely been dreaming. Fresh tears pooled in my eyes, burning as they rolled down my tear-stained cheeks. I had hoped Bilbo had come back, that perhaps he changed his mind, but it must have just been a cruel trick of my mind. I buried my face in his pillow, breathing in his beautiful scent as I cried myself to sleep once more. 

\---

A harsh knock sounded at the door, startling me from sleep. Although I felt that I had gotten no more than a few minutes of rest, I assumed it was already well into the morning. The rapping at the door sounded again, more insistently than before, but I decidedly ignored it. 

"Thorin!" Dwalin's rough voice sounded outside, accompanied by a louder-still knock. 

"Go away," I weakly replied, my voice hoarse and tired. I buried my face back in Bilbo's pillow, inhaling the scent that was already fading. 

"Thorin, you-" I heard the door open, my friend's booming voice abruptly cut off when I assumed he caught sight of me. 

The door clicked shut, as quietly as I assumed Dwalin could perform the action, before his heavy footsteps came towards the bed. I felt the mattress depress beside me as he sat, huffing out a breath. 

"So it went badly?" 

"I told you to go away," my voice wavered. 

"You know it won't do you any good to sit in here and cry over it."

I looked up from the pillow in my grasp, "He said it was a horrible mistake."

"Oh..." He was silent for a few moments, before he added, "Would you like a hug?"

"No I don't want a hug." Fresh tears seared my skin as they began falling. I shuffled over to my friend until his large arms encircled me, and my crying returned to body-wracking sobs as he tried his best to comfort me, although it wasn't the best of attempts. 

\---

When I left my room for the first time that day it wasn't until well into the night, when the mountain seemed lifeless. I was seeking an escape from my sorrows, anything at all to make me forget, but I didn't dare venturing out into the halls earlier, because I didn't want to see anyone; I wasn't sure I could stand the small talk or questions of my absence that day. 

I was headed in no direction in particular, letting my feet guide me where they saw fit as my mind whirled with thoughts I would rather forget; images of a head of soft curls or the glorious smile that brightened an entire room, the lilting tones of his sweet laugh... 

When I noticed the secluded part of the mountain I was heading towards my stomach dropped. The doors to the greenhouse ominously loomed ahead, and I was caught between a longing to enter or flee before I took even one step closer. Above my fear of finding the room occupied, I wanted to go in just one last time, before I forbade myself from ever venturing near there again. I slowly made my way forward, each step harder than the last, until my hands were pressed against the metal doors, and I resolutely pushed them open. 

My breath caught at the sight before me; moonlight streamed into the room, illuminating broken pots and dirt scattered around both the floor and the tables. Few of the ceramic containers had survived intact, and only one still seemed perfectly upright and in possession of its contents. I made my way towards the lonely pot, only half-heartedly listening to the ceramic crunching under my boots as I stepped on the broken pieces that littered the floor. 

In the lone pot sitting on a dirt covered bench, surrounded by the pieces of its fallen comrades, was the little green shoot Bilbo had showed to me only a few days before. I wasn't sure if it had been spared accidentally or on purpose, but I couldn't let the fragile little plant there all alone, not when it might suffer the same fate, so I gently picked the container up, and quickly left. I was trying to discreetly make my way back to my chambers, as if someone might catch me in the act of holding my little plant and take it away, but when I gave my actions some thought, I realized I was King Under the Mountain, so it wasn't really necessary for me to act like I was harboring a fugitive of the law instead of merely carrying a pot of soil with a tiny green shoot peeking up from the center. 

As soon as the door to our... to my chambers was closed, I pushed everything off the desk in one sweep of my arm, sending it all flying or clattering to the ground. I ever-so-carefully set the pot in the middle, before hurrying to the bathroom to fetch it some water. I watched with fascination as the soil quickly soaked up each drop, turning a shade darker. Kneeling before the desk, I watching with rapt attention, as if the plant would magically grow simply because I had added some water, until I realized how stupid I was being. 

I stiffly stood up, surveying the mess I had created on the floor in my haste to set the plant on my desk. Official papers were scattered about, along with my quill and the jar of ink, which had shattered, letting the inky black substance spread in a puddle, covering many of the papers. Really, I could have just placed the plant on the table and saved myself from ruining important papers and making a mess, but it was already done, and my precious plant looked lovely in its new spot. 

I pulled out the chair, taking a seat and resting my elbows on the desk's surface, my forehead cupped in my palms. I almost laughed when I remembered back to merely a few weeks ago, to the first night Bilbo had entered my room with tears in his eyes and I had been sitting in that exact spot. Everything had been so different then, before I had overstepped the bounds of our friendship and declared my love. 

I couldn't help the tears that renewed their rolling down my cheeks. I had been crying nearly nonstop since Bilbo had fled my room and disappeared down a hall, and these new tears hurt, my eyes were exhausted from the effort or crying, but there was nothing to stop my sadness but the burglar that had stolen my heart. 

\----

I awoke to a sore back, puffy eyes, and my little plant pushed precariously close to the edge of the desk. I quickly drew the pot back into the middle and stood from the spot I had occupied all night, cursing as I stretched and my back immensely protested. Although I could have suffered to bathe first, I merely changed into new clothes and headed for the door, intending to find Balin and let work keep my mind occupied. 

When I opened the door I was met by the sight of the light brown curls I had been thinking of, the sparkling hazel eyes attached to the most beautiful face, which had taken on a look of slight shock. Bilbo was standing directly in front on my room, the anklet clasped in one hand. 

"Thorin, I... I just wanted to give this back," he thrust the piece of jewelry at me, looking away. 

I struggled to keep myself composed, but I managed to hold all of my emotions inside me as I reached out to take the precious gift back. When my fingers brushed his I nearly gripped his hand and knelt to the floor to beg for his forgiveness, but I wouldn't let myself sink to such depths when he had made it so painfully clear that he only wanted friendship... although we weren't even friends anymore, I had ruined everything. 

He turned to leave before he stopped to add, "I'm going back to the Shire."

"When?" My voice was thankfully almost normal. 

"Tomorrow," he walked away, taking any lingering hope I had of at least rebuilding our friendship with him. 

I watched him as he went farther and farther from me, resisting the urge to call out his name or run after him before I finally tore my gaze away and heading down the opposite hall. My mind was whirling with so many questions and thoughts it was hard to decipher any of them, but on top of all that was a crushing despair so heavy my shoulders were slumped with the effort of carrying its overbearing weight. 

When I spotted Balin's office ahead my pace quickened slightly, and I didn't bother with knocking before flinging open the door. 

"Did he say anything to you about leaving?" I immediately asked. 

"Bilbo? Yes everyone's known for the past day or so, didn't he mention anything to you?" Balin looked up from his paperwork. 

"No..."

"I was afraid of that; Dwalin told me it had gone badly," he sent me a sympathetic look. 

"He's leaving forever?" I quietly questioned. 

"That's how it seems, lad." 

I hung my head in defeat and left, wandering back to my room, intent on trying to drown myself in my misery upon the pillow that smelled less and less of Bilbo with each passing day. 

\----

"Thorin?" Dwalin entered my room without knocking, holding a something in his arms. 

"Go away," I mumbled, watching him from where I was curled up on the bed. 

"These were recovered from Bilbo's room," he set the bundle down on the desk, an old cloth hiding the contents within. 

"Why did you bring them here?" 

"It gives you a reason to go talk to him," he shrugged before turning to leave. 

I eyed the cloth-wrapped mystery for a few moments before my curiosity got the better of me, and I went over to see what was sitting on my desk. I carefully pulled back the cloth, the bright silver-white of the mithril shirt I had gifted him in my sickness staring back at me. I carefully lifted it from its wrappings, watching the light sparkle off it. A soft thud startled me from my examination of the shirt, and I looked down to see an acorn had fallen at my feet. I bent to pick it up, realizing it must have fallen from inside the shirt; that special nut was kept safe because he had stored it in the mithril. 

\---

I woke to a noise; a hesitant knock at my door. 

I was about to tell the person to just go away, but I had the lingering hope that perhaps that soft knock belonged to a hobbit, so I base them to enter. 

There were a few moments of silence, before the door slowly opened, "Thorin, I... I just wanted to..." My heart soared when I saw Bilbo in the low candlelight, but my chest clenched at the sight of the tears running down his face. 

"Bilbo, what's wrong?"

"I just needed to see you. Just this once, please, and then tomorrow I'll be out of your life forever."

Tears sprung to my eyes, but I readily agreed, keeping my voice as unaffected as I could manage. 

He rushed over to the bed, swiftly climbing atop it before barreling into my arms, his wet cheeks pressed against my neck as he continued to sob, his smaller body shaking violently in my arms. 

I tried to comfort him, to be the rock he needed in that moment, but I was so saddened that he would leaving, and I began to cry with him, even though it seemed there were no tears left, and I tried to hide my weeping in his soft curls. 

"Thorin, why are you crying?" He sniffled. 

"Please don't leave me... I know it's all my fault you're going, but I couldn't bear life without you,"

"What do you mean, it's your fault?"

"I shouldn't have gifted you that piece of jewelry, it was a breach of our friendship, and I should have learned after the first time that you didn't reciprocate my feelings for you," tears were streaming down my face as I told him. 

"Whatever do you mean?" He had nearly stopped crying at that point, and wiped away some tears with the back of his hand. 

"I gifted you a piece of my craft, something forged by my own hands. I declared my love for you."

"Declared your love?" He asked incredulously. 

"Yes, you must know how I love you. Was my gift not enough to show you? I can make another, I'll make a thousand more if it will prove to you that you are my heart. Even if you don't return my feelings, just say the word and I'll never bring any of it up again, but please, please don't go."

"That anklet? That was supposed to show me how much you love me?"

"Of course."

"What about those rings, or the hair beads, or the necklace, or the bracelet? Were those all declarations of love as well?"

"Yes, all seven times I was trying to show you how much I love you."

He put his hands in either side of my face, and engulfed my lips in an all consuming kiss. Both our cheeks were wet with tears, and there may have been some snot involved, but neither of us seemed to mind. 

When he broke the kiss he looked into my eyes with admiration, "You great stupid dwarf."

"What have I done now?" I pleaded. 

"If someone had only explained to me earlier what those gifts meant, we could have avoided this whole mess."

I took a moment to process his words ,"You mean you didn't know the significance of my gifts?" 

He laughed at me," I hadn't the slightest idea."

"So you mean all the times you turned me down-"

"I thought you were just trying to give me parts of the treasure, I wanted nothing to do with that gold, especially after all that had happened because of it."

"So when you said it was a horrid mistake to give you the anklet?"

"Oh, no, I believed you only thought of me as a friend, I didn't mean it was a mistake for you to give me that gift, I meant it was a mistake for me to kiss you. If I had just known that it meant you loved me I never would have said that."

"I must be stupid, to have overlooked our cultural differences. It hadn't even crossed my mind that hobbits might have different practices."

"Yes well, now we both know. Thank Yavanna it was before I left."

"...Are you still planning to leave in the morning?"

"I-"

"Bilbo please, please don't leave me. I'll do anything, absolutely anything. I love you, with all my heart, and it would break to see you go," I rambled. 

"Thorin-"

"Then I'll go with you, I'll pass the crown to Fili. We can live together in the Shire in your lovely little home, and-" 

He pressed a hand to my lips, and I ceased my talking, "Will you listen to me?"

I nodded, his fingers still pressed to my lips. 

"I was going to say, of course I'm not going anywhere. As endearing as it is that you'd give up your kingdom to come live with me, I think I quite like it in Erebor. My only friends are here, and there never seems to be a dull moment, especially with you around," he smiled fondly at me. 

I couldn't form words, so instead hugged him against me, as tight as I dared, before releasing him to squash our lips together, rougher than I had intended. We began to move against each other, our mouths opening so tongues could venture forth to explore and taste. I moaned into our embrace, relishing in his delicious taste as I attempted to devour more of him, trying to conquer every inch of his delectable mouth. 

When we broke for air, I took in his flushed features and abused lips. "You mean all this time I could have been ravishing you?" I breathlessly asked. 

He nodded, smiling, before diving in for more, knocking me onto my back. We hungrily kissed, as if it might be our last, and my hands came up to roam over his back, feeling over the soft expanse of clothed skin. Without taking too much focus from our kiss, I attempted to find the hem of his shirt and rid him of the garment. It was a slow process, as I often got lost in the intensity of our kisses, but eventually I had it tugged halfway up his chest, and his lips quickly broke contact from mine so he could divest himself of the obstructive garment.

I moaned again as he came back down, reconnecting our lips, and my hands brushed over his exposed skin, feeling for the first time how lovely it really was, which indeed was much better than I had ever imagined. When I could concentrate my efforts enough, I let my hands grab the globes of his ass, kneading them as I had always wanted to, causing a groan of pleasure to sound in his throat. I moaned again, at his noise as well as the perfectness of his body under my hands. 

I reluctantly moved my hands from his arse to attempt to undo his trousers, but it was difficult with to do while kissing, especially with our bodies pressed so close together. "Off," I grumbled, at my first chance. 

He rolled off me, and we both made quick work of the rest of our clothes. I launched onto him, before he could try the same, and settled myself between his legs before reconnecting our lips. I ground down on his exposed flesh, and we moaned in sync.

I broke our kiss, before I might lose myself in the passion of the moment, "Bilbo, are you sure you want this? I mean, are you sure you want to go through with this right now? I can wait until you're ready, even if you never want to, I-"

He pressed a hand to my lips again, "I have wanted this for as long as I can remember, and you obviously have too. Right now I want nothing more than for you to make love to me," he smiled up at me. 

I groaned, swooping down to capture his lips, grinding our hips together at the same time. He moaned into our kiss, his hands coming up to roam over the expanse of my back, lightly trailing his nails down the muscle. 

I sightlessly reached towards my nightstand, breaking the kiss again to find the vile of lubricant I had stored there long ago with high hopes of using it with him, before devouring his swollen lips once more. I uncorked the vile, although with a slight amount of difficulty, and coated my fingers with the scented oil. I was mildly careful not to spill the entire thing on the bed, only because I was the only one I had in the room, and trailed my hand down his lovely crack. I carefully circled his clenched ring of muscle with my pointer finger, before ever so slowly pushing it in. 

He made a discomforted sound, but I focused his attention on our kiss, twining our tongues together, as I waited for him to adjust to my finger. When the muscle had relaxed around me, I gently pushed my finger in further, careful not to hurt him, no matter how much I wanted to finally bury myself in his lovely heat. 

Preparing him was a slow process, and I trailed kisses over his chest and along his neck, as I patiently waited to enter his beautiful body. He was begging by the time he was open enough, and as soon as I knew I wouldn't hurt him, I quickly coated myself. 

"Are you sure you're ready?"

He looked up into my eyes, his hazel ones darkened with desire, "Yes," he panted. 

I put a hand on his hip, and guided myself into him, taking my time to slowly enter. I held my breath until I was buried to the hilt, and let it out in a groan. I looked down at him, taking in the beautiful sight of our first coupling, and thanking Mahal that everything had worked out in the end. 

His head was thrown back, his curls a sweaty mess sticking to his forehead, one hand fisting in the sheets. His skin glistened with sweat, and I lovingly trailed my hands over his beautiful body. They went over the curve of his stomach, up his nearly hairless chest, and up to cup each side of his face. I leant over him, pressing our foreheads together. 

"I love you, Bilbo," I whispered against his mouth. 

"I love you too," he pressed a chaste kiss against my lips. 

I slowly began to move, causing him to voice his pleasure. He caught onto the rhythm and came back to meet each thrust. Our mixed cries filling the air as we moved together. I grabbed his dick in one hand, stroking it in time with my thrusts, which increased with each plea for more, until I was pounding into him.

I watched as his eyes rolled back, and he cried out my name, coming between us in spurts. I was so close, unrelentingly thrusting into him until I hit my peak, and as I came within him, my only thoughts were how magnificently beautiful he was, and that my wonderful hobbit actually loved me. 

I rested on my elbows above him, staring down into his eyes filled with warmth. I rested our foreheads together, and pressed a languid kiss to his lips, before slowly pulling my softening cock from him, the squelching sound filling the quiet room, and I rolled over to lay beside him. 

"We should get cleaned up," he yawned. 

"We'll do it in the morning," I stated, as I pulled him closer, and covered us with a blanket. 

He nuzzled into me, letting out a contented sigh and giving into sleep almost immediately. I stared down at him for a while, fondly brushing the curls from his face, before falling asleep as well. 

-

I woke to find Bilbo watching me, and he smiled when he saw my eyes had finally opened. I returned it, pulling him closer to me and burying my face in his chest. 

"Good morning," he chuckled. 

I grunted in reply, and he only laughed more. 

"We really should go bathe, you know," he pointed out the dried cum on my chest. 

"Only if it's together."

"Deal," he giggled. 

I looked up at him, taking in his warm eyes and comforting smile, "I love you."

"I love you," his smile brightened. "Come on," he escaped my embrace and padded towards the bathroom, and I took the opportunity to watch how his ass bounced as he took each step. 

I jumped out of bed, eager to follow after him. I came up behind him while he was bent over the faucet to turn on the water for the bathtub, playfully kneading his soft arse. 

"Do you want to know what I really want?"

"Hmm?" 

"To taste your love sausage," I trailed kisses up his neck. 

"Love sausage?" He turned and quirked an eyebrow at me. 

I nodded, not quite understanding his confusion. 

He started uncontrollably laughing, going so far as to clutch his sides and nearly fall to the floor. 

"What's so funny?" I demanded. 

"Love sausage!" He laughed, "You call my dick a love sausage?!" His laughter increased. 

"What's so wrong with that?" I asked. 

"It's just," he wiped a tear from the corner of one eye, "I've never heard that before. Is it a dwarven term, or did you come up with it all on your own?" He was still giggling. 

"I came up with it," I frowned at him, but his laughter only increased. 

After he had stated the word at least four more times, his laughter almost never-ending, he calmed down, and came over to wrap his arms around me, although they couldn't quite connect around my back. 

"I love you so much," he smiled up at me, and I couldn't stay mad at him, even though I was tempted to. 

"You didn't have to laugh so much," I petulantly pouted. 

"I'm sorry," he raised himself onto his tiptoes to press a kiss to my lips. "Let me make it up to you," he grabbed one of my hands and led me into the warm bath water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Did that get too sad? I feel like I may have gone a little over the deep end with Thorin's feelings. (But did you cry? I feel like I failed if you didn't at least feel a little sad)
> 
> I think I read through every part. I probably missed a lot of mistakes in this chapter, but I'm too eager to see what you think to try to read through it again. (I'll come back and edit the whole thing eventually)
> 
> And finally, it's the end! I'm kind of sad it's the end... I don't want it to be over, but it is. 
> 
> So, tell me what you thought, of this chapter, the whole thing, really anything at all. Was that smut any good?

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you for reading. Please leave your thoughts, I live for them <3


End file.
